Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Leandro, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,483 in San Leandro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in San Leandro, CA
Learn more

San Leandro, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in San Leandro, CA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in San Leandro, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,483 in San Leandro, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
San Leandro, CA $3,483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $5,059 in San Leandro, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
San Leandro, CA $5,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,634 in San Leandro, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
San Leandro, CA $6,634

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 25% less than in San Leandro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, San Leandro, CA 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.50 $25.50

-20.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$111 $111

-23.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$14.84 $14.84

-18.33%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.10 $6.10

-7.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$3.21 $3.21

14.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.78 $2.78

-15.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.90 $7.90

-0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.84 $8.84

-0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.76 $1.76

-35.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.24 $5.24

-29.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.86 $4.86

-31.89%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.84 $5.84

-28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.22 $15.22

-14.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.05 $13.05

6.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$22.80 $22.80

-28.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.07 $6.07

-22.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.53 $1.53

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.42 $4.42

15.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.46 $6.46

-30.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.00 $3.00

2.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.72 $2.72

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.03 $2.03

-11.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.99 $1.99

11.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.95 $11.95

-16.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.36 $14.36

4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.74 $1.74

67.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.70 $3.70

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$5.70 $5.70

-78.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$97.6 $97.6

-58.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.23 $4.23

-34.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.00 $2.00

-17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$38.81 $38.81

-8.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.56 $1.56

-39.10%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

25.66%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.17%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$240 $240

-7.23%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.5 $58.5

$50.9 $50.9

14.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$77.0 $77.0

-7.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$49.58 $49.58

6.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$16.03 $16.03

-12.29%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$2,923 $2,923

-50.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$43.1K $43.1K

-50.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$66.4 $66.4

-20.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$39.43 $39.43

8.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$88.3 $88.3

-2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,357 $2,357

-10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,882 $1,882

-34.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,652 $3,652

5.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,985 $2,985

-19.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$5,091 $5,091

45.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,028 $4,028

-24.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,390 $5,390

-3.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.76

0.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Leandro, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

San Leandro, CA

$1.9K 54% 52.9% $651

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

San Leandro, CA

$473 13.6% 15.4% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

San Leandro, CA

$368 10.6% 4.4% $16

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

San Leandro, CA

$403 11.6% 15.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

San Leandro, CA

$142 4.1% 10.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

San Leandro, CA

$82 2.3% 0.6% $0.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

San Leandro, CA

$135 3.9% 139% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,357 in San Leandro, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Leandro, CA pays 4% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $111 in San Leandro, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $473 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 San Leandro, CA

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

88,815

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX San Leandro, CA 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
San Leandro, CA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs San Leandro, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in San Leandro, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,357 in San Leandro, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,483 in San Leandro, CA – Austin, TX is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 58% less than in San Leandro, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in San Leandro, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.